A longtime fan's look at theatre in St. Louis, MO and Beyond

Save Dress Circle 2

Since I wrote my last “Save Dress Circle” piece, there have been some new developments in the situation, so I thought I’d address those here. I’ve seen a lot more debate online on various theatre message boards, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc., mostly centering on the fact that there is now a benefit concert in the works, featuring quite a few big-name West End performers, to help raise money for the shop. I thought this was a great idea, and I really wish I lived in London so I could go. I never realized, though, that this was going to turn into such a contentious issue. Most of the debate seems to center on the issue of “charity vs. business”—basically, that Dress Circle is a for-profit business, and all the various fundraising efforts are making it seem like a charity. Some even go so far as to say that such fundraising efforts are wasted and that whatever time and money are put into this effort should be spent on actual charities.

I don’t know if this is a cultural thing, being American, but I see no problems with holding a benefit of this kind to help out a struggling business. I have heard of similar cases in this country. In the specific case of Dress Circle, it is not claiming to be a charity, and as far as I know the shop’s owner did not plan this benefit himself. The point is that this store is more than just a store, and people can argue with that all they want, but the fact is that there is no other place like this shop, and they do a lot more than just sell CDs, books and other theatre-related items. Their efforts to support the theatre community and promote artists and productions via signings and other events cannot easily be done online. I really wish we had a shop like this in St. Louis. It is well-loved in the theatre community in London, and these performers and the others involved don’t want to see it close. They are not making these efforts at the expense of charitable organizations, though. In fact, many of the performers reported to be involved in the benefit have been involved in many fundraising efforts for charities as well. This is not a case of either/or. It’s just one more cause that they are supporting because they care about it, even though in this case the cause is a for-profit business rather than a non-profit charity.

Another case that is being made is that the fundraising efforts will not really save the store, and in one sense I do see that point. I know very little about running a business, but I do know that it takes more than a lump-sum of money to keep a business afloat for the long haul. I’m sure that there are a lot of factors contributing to the shop’s current financial struggles and I think a lot of those are not the owner’s fault. The store is located in a very high-rent district of London, and many people now buy their music online to get the best prices. These factors will not go away, and no matter how much money the benefit raises, those funds won’t last forever. The shop’s business plan does need to be revisited and modified if the shop is going to survive for years to come, and Murray Allan, the shop’s owner, has indicated on the Dress Circle website’s message board that he is in the process of doing just that. Also, a long-term investor will most likely be needed to keep the shop going, as Allan has also admitted and is actively seeking. In fact, Allan has recently spoken on the subject in a short interview that is up on YouTube. See what he has to say here:

Still, despite the business issues that need to be dealt with, I think a benefit concert and other fundraising efforts are worthwhile for several reasons. First, the current efforts have served to raise awareness of the shop’s situation, and apparently business has picked up as a result. The efforts will also help to advertise the need for and attract the attention of potential long-term investors. Also, the funds raised will help to meet the shop’s immediate financial needs and give the owners more time to address the long-term issues. The benefit is not a magic cure, but it is a start, and if I lived in London I would attend. I hope they make a DVD of the concert and sell it to help raise further funds. If they do, I will buy it and encourage others to do so.

The bottom line is, I think Dress Circle is a valuable asset to the London theatre community, and many performers and other theatre professionals, as well as fans, agree with me and are involved in the efforts to save it. Some people either don’t like the store or disagree with the idea of raising money to help a business. These people don’t have to support the efforts, but those of us who do support them will not change our minds. I wish the benefit every success and hope the shop remains open for many years to come.

Addendum–To keep up to date with the fundraising efforts and other issues regarding the shop, you can follow @dcbenefit on Twitter and/or join the Facebook page I linked to in my last post on this subject. Dress Circle also has an official Facebook page here and they also have a Twitter @DressCircleShop. The main Dress Circle website (from which you can order their merchandise online) is linked in the Blogroll on the right side of this page.

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[…] could be putting that same time into helping various charitable causes. I already mentioned in “Save Dress Circle 2” that many of these artists already do a lot to support charities and it’s not a case of […]